BEING A BIG LAZYBONES

Forgive me..it's been ramadan..I've been busy with a hundred and one jobs that need doing..I don't know where the time flies...I just can't resist....simply must bore you people with an account of my typical ramadan day.

@3 AM..
At the unearthly hour of 3am in the night(when it's the best part of snuggling deep into your quilt and your dreams are at their most exciting point...TTTRRRRIIINNGTG....TRRIINNNGGG...the alarm rips through the chill night..but I snuggle deeper into my quilt..(who wants to wake up at that time??)N (my hubby) gives me a shove ..Resh..wake up..it's time to get Suhoor (a predawn meal we have during ramadan) for us..."mmm..yess..just five more minutes..then I'll get up" N keeps poking and prodding me till 3.30am when I finally give up and roll out of bed and into the kitchen..all bleary eyed.
Getting the food ready( this meal varies from house to house..for us, suhoor means steamed bananas and steamed rice cake-puttumpazhampuzhungiyathum-in local speak..along with hot tea) for the kids and hubby takes about ten to twenty minutes only..then begins the process of waking up the rest of my family(including hubby dearest, who promptly turned over to sleep the minute i left the bed..MEN!!) who are equally adept at clinging onto their precious sleep .Finally by 4 am, all are sitting around the table having their foodand trudging back to bed after the morning namaz(prayers)..while I am clearing the table and washing up, which gets done by around 5.15.
Now comes the hard part...the kids have to get up by 6 am if they have to be ready for the schoolbus (which comes around by 6.45am)..so if i go to bed now..it's a sure bet that I won't be able to wake up on time ...so that means 45 minutes of sitting around in the dark, twiddling my thumbs..while I would much rather be sleeping(sigh!)
So i sit at the computer and surf the web till 6am.
@6AM
Wake the kids up, poke and prod them..cajole them into uniforms, walk them to the busstop..and back home by 7 am.
@7AM
Wide awake now..No point in going to bed..so, I start cleaning the house,putting it back in order .
@8AM
I walk into the kitchen and start preparing food for Iftaar -the evening meal, which is when we break our fast. Samosa, Unnakka, Dateballs, meatballs, kababs, pies..anything goes..Pathiri(thin soft rotis made from rice flour ) and Mutton Kurma are my husband's and kids' favorite dish..this is mandatory for everyday of Ramadan.
@1.30PM
Work in the kitchen finally gets over ..and I have a quick bath, pray and run around doing other chores(like picking up the laundry and drycleaning, buying vegetables and groceries, etc,etc etc...)
@3.45PM
The kids come home and it's bedlam for the next twenty minutes!
A long list of complaints ..fights..tears..playground stories..an assignment ..a project has to be done...umma..listen...all three want to talk at once..and I am in a hurry to get them out of sweaty uniforms and socks..Make them wash up..and change ..then checking their bags and books for homework and stuff...playing with them in the garden..till the arabic tutor comes
@5PM
Prayers ( in relative peace) since the kids are studying with their arabic tutor, then into the kitchen again for last minute adjustments to food.
@6PM
The kids are back from the tutor and racing to play outside..and I am racing against the clock now. Have to get them ready for going to the mosque with their dad by 6.20pm.
My husband started this new routine this year..of going to the nearby mosque to break their fast with some water and dates , offer prayers there, and then come home for a propermeal. It's been a good idea..the boys have been really enjoying doing grownup things, and learning how to do things in the proper traditional way
@6.30PM
They are all back home , by which time I have also broken my fast with water and dates and offered evening namaz(prayer) So we all sit around the dining table, eating the meal I have prepared.
@7PM
Like storm clouds gathering, I can feel a headache creeping up ..By the time I finish clearing the table and cleaning up..I'm all tired and drained..All I want to do is curl up in a corner and sleep which is exactly what I do for the next one hour.
@ 8pm
Wake up again, do namaz(prayers) ,put the kids to bed, and get a drink for N and myself..put my feet up and chat for ten fifteen minutes..by whichtime I'm nodding off again..(and so does N !!) ..So, by around
@9PM
we both wearily drag our tired bodies into bed and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
till it starts again....

PATHIRI
Ingredients

2 cups Rice powder(Roasted)
3 cups water
salt -as required

Method

1. Boil the water. Add salt .

2. Add the flour to the boiling water and stir well in a simmering flame.

3. Cover the dough and keep it to cool.

4. Once it has partially cooled knead the dough thoroughly, wetting your hands freuently with a little water. Make sure that no lumps are formed inside.

5. Make small lemon sized ballsfrom the dough .

6. Dust the balls in some rice flour and roll it out using a roller pin.

7. Heat a tawa till smoking hot. Keep the pathiri on it and flip it to the other side once the pathiri starts forming bubbles, like a phulka. Press the pathiri occasionally so that it will become soft and layered.

8. Once both the sides are done, remove it from the tawa.


Tip:
After each pathiri...wipe clean the tawa with a dry cloth so that the charred flour doesn't stick to the next one.

Serve pathiris either dipped in medium hot coconut milk or with coconut milk on the side as an accompaniment

CHANGE AGAIN..

Yet another change in the style of my blog..sorry for the frequent changes..The thing is...I was just not content with the earlier one...This one looks more neat..no?
Time drags when you're waiting for something eagerly..in my case, I'm waiting for school to reopen...the kids' school..i.e. I'm at my wit's end trying to find things for the kids to do.


If I hear one more "I'm booored.." ..I swear I'm going to scream!My kids are basically quite nice, with a little bit of naughtiness thrown in..(a spadeful, actually!)But..too much of a good thing is no good.. So here I stand..pulling my hair out,trying to keep my home clean and fresh, trying to be a sweet mom...(and failing!)planning sneaky ways on how to grab a moment's peace from the three mini tornadoes...Poor things, they're as fed up of me as I am of them. Good thing school reopens on June 1st, 2009.

They're all excited about their new stuff.New text books, all covered in fresh new brown paper,new pencils, new bags, new pencil boxes, new umbrellas..(it took them more than an hour to decide which ones to buy!)(Give me patience, Lord!)

Me too, I am so excited about their going to school...aaah..the peace and quiet!!



I was thinking of posting a recipe for a nice stir fry which I normally have with chapatis or parathas. Easy to make, light and nutricious, it looks great too.

VENDAKKA MASALA
a.k.a., OKRA MASALA

Ingredients

Lady finger 100 gms chopped finely
Shallots
or button onions 4 nos. chopped
Oil 2-3 tbsp
Chilli powder 1 tbsp
Salt 1/2 or 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Cumin powder 3 tsp
Curry leaves 1 stalk

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan, add shallots and okra.

2. Saute well on high flame for a minute, then add all the spices and curry leaves.

Saute again on high flame for another 2 minutes till

ODE TO MY FATHER IN LAW

Hi there! long time no see and all that...I've been so lazy for so long that I began having a guilt complex...It's been vacation time here in malluland...and I hope you mommies out there will understand the trials and travails of a mom of three kids.. As of now, I've outlived a wedding, 3 parties , a funeral, and am shuttling between my house and my husband's ancestral house on a daily basis with the three minitornadoes trailing along behind me full time!!

My father in law passed away on the 10th of May and we're still recovering from the shock of how fast death can creep into our midst and whisk away a loved one.Uppa,as we used to call him ,was a big man, in both body and spirit, generous, gruff , overbearing ,loving,stubborn, ...In private, we used to call him a lion..and he was that too..a braveheart, his very voice sounded like a roar, his very stance was like a lion's..A friend of ours used to joke that whenever he called us at home on the phone, and Uppa picked up the phone, he would automatically stand up -even though he was actually hundreds of miles away in another state!!

Being quite a headstrong person myself, we often used to be at loggerheads on many issues..most of them being about the way I raise my kids. He was of the old school, and I was of the shiny new brigade with many modern ideas, pooh-poohing their old ideas and rituals as pure gibberish. It took me five six years, many personal experiences,and some maturity to accept the fact that sometimes it is better to listen to the wisdom of the elders. With maturity comes wisdom and grace...and I learned to overlook his grouchy behaviour to see the loving father who was hiding underneath that crusty exterior.

We all miss him ...but I know that the greater pain is yet to come..that will come when we walk into the ancestral home again and we see the empty chair in the front porch..it will come again when we wait for him to drop by in the evenings, and then realise that he will no longer be coming...it will come again in many other instances....

Remembering Uppa today, I'm posting one of his favorite dishes..Carrot halwa a.k.a.Gajar halwa


CARROT HALWA

Ingredients:

Carrots,grated finely 4-5 medium sized
Cardamom ,powdered 5 nos.
Sugar 1/2 cup
Condensed milk or fresh cream 3-4 tbsp
Salt a pinch
Ghee 6-7 tbsp
Saffron (optional) a few strands soaked in 1 tbsp hot milk


Method:

1. Heat ghee in a nonstick pan.

2. Zap carrots in microwave for 2 minutes on high. Add to pan,saute well on a low flame.

3. Add salt, when carrots are well wilted, add cardamom and sugar. Stir well.

4. This is a crucial time. Do not leave pan unattended or the halwa will burn and stick to the pan bottom. Keep stirring till the carrots and sugar is well mixed and of a pasty consistency.

5. Add condensed milk or cream, and saffron , stir till it all comes together as a halwa.(the mixture will leave the sides of the pan and collect in the middle.)

6. Serve hot or cold with almond slivers as a garnish.

Tip: Serve piping hot with icecream...yummy combination!!

LONG TIME NO POST...

Yes...it has been such a long time since i did a blog post..almost a month...no? Vacation had started , and I lost no time in packing my bags and hightailing it to my hometown in Kollam for some long awaited TLC and R&R . I spent ten days with my parents..then a couple of days bonding with cousins at a gettogether in Cochin, took a short trip to a Beach resort in Kovalam (thank you, vappa and umma!!)and was back home by the fifth of April.

Then why the long absence from the blog? you might ask..
It's wedding season in Kerala now...and I've been running around attending weddings and pre wedding parties for the past two weeks . It's been good fun though, since I really enjoy dressing up. In kerala, we go all out for the weddings..garish heavy jewellery, kanjeevaram and silk saris, jasmine flowers, ...though I must add that of late, there has been a trend towards designer saris and diamond jewellery.

My niece ,A,( the one who loves my carrot cake,remember?)is getting married on May 3rd..and the whole family (my husband's family) have all been so busy shopping for her trousseau and for all of our outfits too...It's been a tradition in our family to do the shopping together...so you can just imagine the mayhem we create when all seven daughter in laws , one sister in law, one mother in law, and twelve to fifteen kids descend upon a shop!!


So you can see how busy I have been, (tee hee!!)For now, I'm posting a very special recipe which is very close to my heart. An old time favorite, a traditional snack, Sarkara Ada. My maternal grandmother, Amma, used to make these for us, whenever we would go to her house for the vacations. Ada, Diamond cuts , Elayappam or chakka ada, these were her specials. THe other two recipes, I will be posting soon...(as soon as I get around to making them and taking a pic!) but today is for

AMMA'S
SARKARA ADA

Ingredients

For the Ada
Rice flour 1 cup
Salt 1/2 tsp
Water 1 cup
A drop of coconut oil (optional)


For the filling
Jaggery 250 gms
Coconut 3/4 cup
Cardamom 3
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Salt a pinch


Method:

For the filling...
1. Melt jaggery in 1/4 th cup of water, cool and strain. Heat again till thick and sticky.

2. Add coconut, salt, and powdered cardamom and cuminseeds.(tasty tip:heat the cardamom and cuminseeds together either in a pan or inthe microwave before powdering..this brings out extra flavour and smell)

3. Mix well.

For the Ada...

1. Boil water and salt . Add rice powder to the boiling water, all the while stirring briskly with a spoon, till the water dries completely and you get a lumpy scrambled mass of cooked rice flour. Leave to cool

2. When the dough has cooled a bit, scrape onto a thali or a flat surface, and knead well with wet hands(this helps in easy kneading) Warning...don't use too much water on your hands...then the dough will become too sticky!! When fully kneaded, add a pinch of coconut oil on your palms and knead one last time for extra softness.

3. Make medium size balls out of the dough. Take one ball at a time and place it in either a pathiri press or your palm. Press it till it is thin and round . Keep this on a small piece of banana leaf or oil paper.

4. Place 1-2 tsp of the filling in the middle of each ada, then fold in half. Press lightly at the semicircular ends to seal the filling in . Fold banana leaf too on top. Do like this with the rest of the balls.


5. Steam for 15 minutes, and serve hot or cold..personally, I like it hot!!

SUMMER IS HERE

Summer is upon us and the heat is unbearable . It's like an oven out there. The minute I step out of my cool house, ( which is very cool due to the fact that we have built it according to the traditional Kerala style which allows for a lot of air circulation, etc.,) the heat hits me in the face like a slap. Not at all discouraged, I still venture out ,thinking that as a hardy true blue mallu, I ought to be able to handle such trifling things as a little heat.
Famous last words!!

I should have just stayed home. By the time I reached home after two three hours, I was literally wilting! The minute I reached home, I changed out of my sticky and sweaty clothes, and dashed into the kitchen to make my lunch. I knew just the perfect antidote for the summer heat!
Curd rice!
Easy to make and soo yummy! Healthy too. So good for my diet also. So here I am , comfortably ensconced in my cooool room,watching a movie with a bowl of curd rice and a large chilled glass of watermelon juice by my side.
Aaaahhh...bliss...!

CURD RICE

Ingredients:

Curd 1 cup
Cooked rice 2 -3 cups
Asafoetida a pinch
Salt to taste
Shallots /Button onions chopped 5-6 nos.
Greenchillies slit 2
Red chillies 1
Curry leaves 1 stalk
Coriander leaves/cilantro a few
Ginger crushed a pinch
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Oil/ghee 2 tsp
Method:

1. Mix together the cooked (should not be hot),salt, green chillies and asafoetida together, and keep in the fridge to chill.


2. Heat a pan, add oil, splutter the mustard seeds. Turn heat to low.

3. Add the curry leaves, shallots, and the red chilly. Saute for a minute and turn off the flame.

4. Add this to the rice along with chopped cilantro.

5. Chill and serve cold with a dash of red chilli powder and cilantro as garnish. Optional.

Tip: If you want to add more richness and taste , add 1 tbsp of fresh cream to the rice along with curd. Not recommended if you're dieting, though!!

SOLD MY CAR!

Isold my little red car (Alto Lxi) yesterday.According to N, it was time we sold it, before it's price goes crashing down. O.K., fine, we had been talking about this for the past six months on and of, but it still was a wrench to see it being driven off by some other guy!
So what? you might say- What's the big deal about such a tiny car? But it was special to me, sentimental fool that I am..It was my very first car- my very own!
So great was my agitation (which I had carefully hidden bebeath a pokerface)that, instead of pouring dosa(pancake) batter onto the hot griddle, I poured sambar (curry!) on it!!Can you imagine? N was in splits, laughing and teasing me about that!!
Anyway,now that my depression has worn off, we are on the lookout for my new car(so much more fun than greiving ,no?)Hopefully, by this time next month, I 'll be tooling around in a shiny new swift! Toodle-oo!


DOSA AND SAMBAR
Ingredients:

Dosa-
Pachari (raw plain rice) 1 cup
Rose Ari(parboiled red rice) 1 cup
Ponni ari(Iddli rice) 1 cup
Uzhunnu(black gram dal) 1 cup
Boiled rice 1 tbsp
Salt 2 tsp
Sugar a pinch
Sodabicarb 1/2 tsp
Water as needed

Method:

1. Soak all the rices and dal overnight.

2. Put all ingredients in a blender or grinder. Add just enough water so it can be ground well.

3. Grind for at least 20 to 30 minutes till everything is well blended and the batter is thick.

4. Remove to a covered container and leave for fermenting .( at least 6-8 hours)

5. Heat a griddle, pour one spoonful of batter onto this, then spread out in circular motions till you have a flat pancake.


6. When golden in colour, add half a tsp of ghee, spread on it, and remove from griddle.

7. Serve hot with sambar ,chutney,or....have you tried chicken curry with this?just great!!


SAMBAR :

Ingredients:
toor dal 1 cup
onion, chopped 1
tomato, chopped 1
drumsticks, chopped 2
Brinjal ,chopped 2(eggplant)
Carrot , chopped 1
Potato ,chopped 1
Green chilli ,slit 5
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
chilli powder 1 tsp
coriander powder 1tsp
Asafoetida powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste.
Tamarind paste 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves a handful(cilantro leaves)
Cumin seeds 1 tbsp
oil 2 Tbsp
mustard seeds 1tbsp
red chillies 3
curry leaves 10
A pinch of asafoetida/hing

Method:
1. Cook the dal with turmeric, onion and 1 cup water until soft & mushy and keep aside.


2. Add the chopped vegetables and some more water, if needed, and cook till tender. You could use a pressure cooker..saves time.

3. Add the powders & mix well. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the tamarind paste. Cook for another 2 minutes.

4. Heat oil, add mustear, let int splutter, then add curryleaves, red chilly, and a pinch of asafoetida.

5. Add to sambar,along with coriander leaves, stir, boil, then serve steaming hot.

IT'S BEEN A BAD START FOR MY NEW YEAR..

This year has started badly for me...no.the first week was okay..a whirlwind round of parties and weddings...but then, on the 6th, my father in law was admitted to the hospital in an emergency situation..he was in the intensive care unit for a week, then transferred to another hospital, where he still is..
the whole family (all 8 of us...we're a single unit)have rallied around, and we have been living our lives around the hospital..then my niece started complaining of stomach pains..which turned out to be a large ovarian cyst..so she had to have an emergency operation..all of us have been dispirited and tired these past few days...so my husband, running on very little sleep managed to bust his car on a post day before yesterday..thankfully, he wasn't hurt...

thinking about all this, I was quite scared to drive my car, and decided to be more careful(since we'd been having a slew of bad luck)And what should happen? you guessed it right! I had a run in with a biker yesterday morning...Thankfully, nothing much happened..There i was, toodling alng, when a biker cuts into my lane, and goes right under my car!You can just imagine my state!I jumped out of the car, saw that he was okay, then started bawling....boo hooo...All my pent up fear and thoughts of bad luck and releif that I didn't kill him....made me cry..
Net result?finally the guy who I knocked over had to comfort me, saying, It's ok...no problem,I'm fine...see, You didn't hurt me..no hard feelings!!OOOf!!what a day!
So now, here we are, all still flitting between hospitals, hoping that things will take a turn for the better...Just not in a mood for blogging or posting a recipe, but still...


CHEEMATO SOUP

Ingredients:

Tomatoes chopped 2 medium size
Carrots chopped 3 medium size
Water 5 cups
Onion chopped 1
Pumpkin/cabbage/capsicum 1 cup(optional )
Chicken stock cube 1
Cheese slice 2 or cheese spread 3 tbsp
Pepper as needed
Basil or oregano 1 tsp




Method:

1. Put onion, tomatoe,carrot and other veggies if you are using them, along with water in a pressure cooker and cook for 5 minutes or till you hear 4 or 5 whistles.

2. Cool, then blend in a blender till there are no chunks floating around.

3. Pour into a saucepan, add the stock cube (powdered),pepper, and cheese.Heat till the soup is thick and the cheese has melted.

4. Serve hot with bread croutons.

HOME AGAIN....

Home again...it's so good to be back at my ancestral home...where so many wonderful childhood memories are ....Every corner I see has a story, every step has a memory etched in it..It's a huge vault, of my past ..

Umm...do I sound a bit too much...Yes?So Sorry, but wherever you go and build your own nest...however happy you are in that nest of yours, there truly is no place like home..So do forgive me for blathering on like the emotional fool I get to be when I come to my home...It's the little chicken coming to roost...(AAARGH!!will I never stop??)
Anyway, seriously, it's been great fun. The kids are having their vacations, my brother and his family are also here..so they are all on aroll...having a blast..
Also, We bought this Karaoke set the other day, so now we're all amatuer singers now..all singing lustily at the top of our voices...giving the neighbors no peace and quiet at all...We're having a jolly good time with friends and family dropping by to see our parents, now that they're back from their pilgrimage..reconnecting ,remembering combined memories...yes..it's fun..
Even though am having fun here..I really should not let my loyal readers down..so am going to post a recipe and run off again...

Is there any mallu who hasn't eaten
PAZHAM PORI ??This is one inevitable snack..famous too...wherever you go in malluland..you will see this innoccous looking snack being sold .


PAZHAM PORI
Ingredients




Bananas 2 Nos
Maida 1/4 cup
Egg 1
Rice flour 1/2 cup
Sugar 1/4 cup
Baking soda 1/2tsp
Salt a pinch
Water to make a loose paste
Coconut oil enough to deep fry







Method

1. Peel and cut the bananas into two sections, and then cut into thin slices lengthwise.

2. Mix the remaining ingredients together into a smooth batter, but not too watery.

3. Heat oil in a frying pan.

4. Take each banana slice and dip it in the batter, and fry on medium fire until they turn golden brown.

5.Keep on a paper towel to let the oil drain, and serve either hot or at room temperature.(I prefer it hot...love the crunchy taste outside,followed by the soft and ripe banana inside,...mmm..)


A note..
Remember to use very ripe bananas for this.
Some people add sesame seeds,some others add turmeric powder, apinch...personally, I never add them.

Have you ever, while having your bath, looked down at the soap suds in your hand and remembered the bubbles you used to make when you were small ?
Have you ever, at that realization , tried to blow a soap bubble , just to see if you can still muster a good enough respectable bubble?
Have you ever, at that point...felt that soaring sense of joy when you find that you were as good as before..no...,much more of an expert now?


This is what exactly happened to me last week....which prompted me to have a bubble blowing contest for the kids at their bath time!
Did you know that you can blow surprisingly large bubbles by looping your thumb and first finger into a bubble blowing wand!
Great fun, the kids loved the contest..though there were no winners...since all the bubbles started popping the very second we finished blowing them!!The bickering continues to this day as to who the winner was..each claiming preposterous sizes for their bubbles!

Anyway, the popping part led me on a search for proper bubble blowing liquid on the net...and here's what I found!
An easy to make recipe for bubble liquid...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/2 cup of dish detergent (washing up liquid)

5 cups water (soft water is best - if your water is very hard consider using distilled or bottled water)

2 tablespoons glycerine (available at the pharmacy or supermarket). You can substitute light corn syrup (not golden syrup!)

Mix the ingredients together very carefully, so that you they don't get too bubbly. Pour into storage containers and, if possible, leave overnight to blend.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bubbles have always held a fascination for me...They're so delicate and ethereal..with no colour at all...yet with millions of colours when they catch the sun's rays..Such pretty little things...I don't think there's any one around who doesn't like blowing bubbles...
Another thing that holds a total sense of enjoyment for me is bubble wrap.
Find some bubble wrap and pop the bubbles, and you will understand what I'm talking about if you haven't done this before..
A weird and wonderful, almost hypnotic game of popping as many bubbles as you can...it invariably ends when all the bubbles are gone from the wrap and you look ruefully at the bubble wrap...Thinking.." did I really pop ALL these bubbles?Now...
Why DID I do that?"



Enough of my wild ramblings..I thought of posting the recipe of Batoora and channa (chick pea curry) as Today's special!

CHANNA BATOORA

Ingredients:

For channa:-
Chick peas 1 cup
Onion(chopped) 1
Tomato(finely chopped) 1
Green chillies 2 nos
(finely chopped)
Ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp
Chilly powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Chaat masala powder 1 tsp
Cumin seeds(Jeerakam) 1 tsp
Oil 1/4 cup
Salt 2 tsp
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

1. Soak the chickpeas overnight.

2. Pressure cook it, along with the onions, tomato, green chilly, and ginger garlic paste, till done.

3. Heat oil in a pan . Add the cooked chickpeas, plus all the other ingredients.

4. Cook, till the gravy thickens.

5. Garnish with coriander leaves.Serve hot.


Ingredients:
For batoora:

Maida 250 gms
Baking powder 1/2 tsp
Soda bicarb a pinch
Salt 1 tsp
curd 1/4 cup
sugar 1/2 tsp
Bread 1 slice
Milk enough to mix the flour

Oil to fry

Method:

1. Mix together all the wet ingredients.

2. Soak the bread slice in this, then beat well, so it crumbles and mixes well in the wet mix.

3. Add the dry ingredients, knead well till you get a soft and smooth dough, then keep aside for 2 hours under a wet cloth cover.

4. Make medium sized balls off the dough.Roll them out to thick big poories.

5. Deep fry them in oil.

6. Using a slotted spatula/spoon drain the bread and transfer to a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Serve hot with channa or any other curry of your choice.

Tip: Can also add a teaspoon of sesame seeds or chopped coriander leaves to he dough at the mixing stage for added visual effect.Also, use as little milk as possible, since if you add too much, the dough will not rise.

GIANT LEAVES IN MY BACKYARD

I could'nt beleive the size of these leaves in my compost heap!!Yes..I do have my own compost heap in my backyard(it helps me to be more environment friendly)(and my garden is benefitting from all natural compost) from which all sorts of fascinating plants are growing..Giant plants!!
There's a mango tree, two jackfruit trees, a few beans climbing out...and these huge leaves! N, my husband assures me that they have a tuberous root, which is very good and nutricious when cooked. We still haven't pulled the root because we wanted to see how big it will grow..
Anyway, we had a little bit of rain yesterday, and I had this great idea of using these leaves as umbrellas!! The kids were all for it and we had a grand time, traipsing around in the rain with our natural umbrellas...the only problem was, once the rain had subsided, and I had taken a few pics for the blog, the kids refused to come inside...they were having too much fun!!

Finally, I had to resort to some devious methods to tempt them inside...yes!you guessed right!
I offered them a bribe of that age old treat..Unniyappams!




UNNIYYAPPAM
Ingredients:

Roasted Rice powder 1 & 1/2cup
(can use puttupodi or idiyappam podi available in market )
Maida 1/2cup
Jaggery 1/2 kg
Grated coconut 1/2
small coconut pieces 4 tbsp
Ellu /sesame seeds 4 tbsp
Cumin seeds a pich
Cardamom seeds 5-6
Salt one pinch
Cooking soda a pinch (opt)
Oil-for frying


Method:

1. Heat a tbsp of dalda or ghee in a pan, then saute coconut bits in this till golden. Powder cumin and coriander seeds.

2. Grind coconut in a blender till soft with 1 tbsp water.

3. Heat jaggery with some water (enough to barely cover the crushed jaggery) to boiling point. When jaggery has fully melted in the water, drain, then keep to boil again in a deep vessel.( this is to prevent it from boiling over onto the cooktop.)Boil till it becomes a thick syrup.

4. Mix all ingredients together , and keep aside for at least half an hour.

5. Heat either dalda or oil in the unniyappa chatti, then pour 1 tbsp each of the batter into each depression.

6. Fry the unniyappams uncovered, till the bottom turns golden in color.

7. With the help of a fork turn the unniyappam to cook on the other side to a golden color. Take out of the oil and drain on a paper towel.

8. Serve hot or at room tempreture.


Tips:

1. Normally, the minute I buy jaggery here, I do step no.3, and keep the cooled jaggery syrup in my refrigerator. It will be fine for at least a year like that. The good thing about this is that you always have a supply of jaggery syrupready and you won't find it too cumbersome to make traditional recipes like Soogiyan,
Cherupayar paayasam
Ada pradhaman
Sharkkara ada
Kozhukkatta..etc.
It cuts your preparation time and effort drastically!!

2. You can also add over ripe mashed bananas for an added taste. Just substitute it for the maida . Use only 1/2 cup of banana plus 1 cup maida.

I bought some beetroots the other day..and I remembered an old recipe I had for beeetroot squash..I have no idea about the finer details as to whether I should call this a beetroot wine or squash..or a lemon drink??Whatever, it's a lovely thing to see and when some of my friends dropped in for a short visit, I served this drink in tall crystal classes, with a mint leaf as garnish...Everyone kept asking me what is this?what are the ingredients? But I just smiled my Mona Lisa smile and kept them guessing...





Ingredients:
Beetroot 2 medium sized
Water 2 cups
Sugar 1 cup
Water 1 cup


Method:

1. Peel beetroot, cut in half, and pressure cook using 2 cups water , for 10 minutes. Keeep aside to cool.



2. Boil water and sugar together in a saucepan till it is a thin syrup. Cool.

3. Remove beetroots , add sugar syrup to the red coloured water that is left in the cooker.

4. Cool, and keep in the fridge.

5. When needed, take 1/4 cup squash, add the juice of 1/2 a lemon, add 1 cup chilled water, and garnish with mint when serving.




Tips:
1. The beetroot can be used for any other beetroot dish, such as beetroot pachadi, or beetroot thoran, or pie...etc.
2.Please make sure that you mix lemon only JUST BEFORE serving, otherwise, the colour will change to a muddy brown colour afetr 15 minutes..
3. Some people add tonovin essence , which gives the taste of grapes to the squash,. If you add that, don't add lemon, just add water and serve.
4. No need for preservatives if you're making only this amount of squash. You can keep this refrigerated for at least one month.
5. If you want , you can substitute lemon juice with 7up or sprite...creates a lovely fizzy drink!!

EID MUBARAK

Eid is special to me..As a true blue mallu muslim, I try to follow the old time traditions as much as possible. I have lovely memories of the festival during my childhood..Eid, Onam, Vishu, Bakrid, Christmas, too...My Umma has always followed a set special routine at my home..she never deviates from it, so that as a child, I always knew what would be the menu for breakfast , lunch, dinner that day...I also knew the exact order of events that would happen on that day, where we would go, what we would do, when we would do every single thing just like the years before.
Likewise, when I got married and came to my husband's home, I found that my mother -in - law also had her own set of traditions with which my husband was totally familiar.By the time I set up my own home about two years ago, I was confused..which set of traditions should I follow that my kids relate to?
I was loath to give up my mother's traditions, at the same time, I didn't want to deprive N of all his familiar Eid routines...
So what I did was mix them up, and now, after two Eids, we have our very own traditions , and my children Insha Allah(god willing) will grow up to that familiar rhythm all their lives.

My mother used to make this sweet dish every Eid for breakfast along with Idiyappams( string hoppers) and Liver roast. What I did was to discard the latter two items, keeping only the sweet, and making Pathiri and Mutton Kurma as my mother -in-law makes for Eid ..What a great mish mash of our two separate traditions..no?


Ethappazha Kurry
SWEET BANANA CURRY

Ingredients:
Ripe bananas 2 (diced)
Coconut milk 2 cups
Sugar 6-8 tbsp
Rice powder 2 tbsp
Cardamoms crushed 6
Water 2 cups
Salt a pinch
Cashewnuts 5-6
Kismis 5-6
Ghee 2 tbsp



Method:

1. Chop Bananas and put into a saucepan along with water, cardamom, and sugar.

2. Boil till the bananas are tender and the water has become half in quantity( 10 minutes max.)

3. Mix ricepowder into coconut milk.

4. Add coconut milk, and a pinch of salt.

5. Heat again, but don't boil. Remove from heat.

6. Heat ghee in another pan, add cashenuts and kismis.

7. Saute till golden in colour and then pour onto the banana curry.

8. Serve hot or cold...tastes delicious either way!!

A FRUIT WHIP

My garden is ablaze with flowers today..
I do so love to sit at my garden bench,soaking up the morning sun’s tender warmth.
And I marvel at the beauty of it…So much colour..Did I really plant this garden myself? Truly, I never expected such loveliness when I started planting the flower beds last year. Now, the bright flowers spill out of their beds, and butterflies flutter aroud everywhere…Is this what they call Heaven?
I am relly sorry that I cannot write anything today other than such trite nonsense..It is Ramzan after all… and one just can’t think properly on an empty stomach..As we reach the end of this month, we’re all getting tired faster, our movements are more sluggish, and we pass the days in a blur of prayers and cooking. And my tired brain cries out for some simple recipes to make…
Yesterday, at Iftaar( breaking of our fast), I made mixed fruit whip.It’s lovely, easy to make, pleasing to the eye, and so light and tasty. Just what the doctor ordered…full of the richness of fruits and milk, this recipe is perfect for ahot summer day too !!
..
MIXED FRUIT WHIP

Ingredients:

Chilled Milk- 4 cups
Condensed Milk(optional) 2tbsp
Sugar ¼ cup
Vanilla Essence ½ tsp
Apple 1
Papaya (not too ripe) ¼ cup
Small banana 3
Pomegranates ½ cup


Method:

1. Mix together milk, condensed milk ,sugar, and vanilla essence.
2. Chop fruits except pomegranates into tiny pieces.
3. Add to the milk.
4. Chill and serve cold.

A LAZY SUNDAY

Sundays at my home are generally lazy...because that's the only day that we're all totally free..except for those weekends when we have some wedding to attend...which is at least once a month.Most mallus are stuck in this routine of going to a wedding every single sunday...somebody's aunt's brother-in-law's sister's daughter will be getting married...somebody's cousin's brother-in -law will be getting married....why, it could even be your local plumber getting married, but you simply must go...N hdecided that we will not go for any weddings other than close relations and family friends of long standing. This rule has helped us to stay at home relaxing most Sundays while most mallus are sweating it out rushing from weddings to housewarmings all day....Yesterday we had to break our rule and go for a wedding..our Electrician is getting married..could'nt afford not to go. Suppose he gets in a snit that we did'nt come for his wedding? Then he might decide not to come when we call him for some electrical repairs and work. And good electricians (and plumbers and carpenters and..ahem, all service workers) are really hard to come by in malluland. So off N went, dashing in and out of the wedding venue in 15 minutes flat..in mallu language, we call this onnu thala kaatttiyittu varaan. In other words, to mark your attendance and run!! We've got it down to a fine art, this showing your head and vanishing. I think most mallus living in Kerala will know exactly what I'm talking about.
Anyway, wedding attendance over, we came home and got down to the business of relaxing. Mowing the lawn, changing lightbulbs, washing our cars, yup...reaaaallee reelaaxing!!
Once we finish the exhaustive business of relaxing, we eat our lunch and have a short siesta(nap). Yesterday evening , we decided to visit N's brother and his family who lives nearby. Since my niece adores my carrot cake, I decided to bake one and take it for her..The best thing about this cake is that once you have assembled the ingredients, which takes only 10 minutes max, it is very easy to make. And it's soo moist ..My personal favorite..the kids are mad about it...and my niece, she goes into a swoon when talking about carrot cake!!

CARROT CAKE

Ingredients

Carrots grated finely -3 cups
Sugar granulated -2 cups
Flour -2 cups
Oil -1 1/2 cups
(if you substitute dalda instead of 1/2 cup oil, it would be evn more soft and moist)
Eggs -4
Soda bi carb - 1 tsp
Baking powder -1 tsp
Cinnamon powdered -1/2 tsp
Clove powdered -1/2 tsp
Nutmeg powdered(optional)1/4 tsp
Salt -a pinch



Method:

1. Beat togeher all ingredients for 2 to 5 minutes(not more than that)

2. Pour into a greased baking tray and bake till done.(15 to 20 minutes)

3. Serve hot or warm...never cold...since it has a tendency for oiliness if cold.

WATER FIGHT!!

It was a lovely spring day..butterflies everywhere..all the flowers were in full bloom..and the kids came home from school all tired and hot...J3 was crying..whining actually.."Umma...J1 pushed me !!I hate J1!!" Ugh..!!I hate whiny kids!!And when they're mine...they're even more irritating!!
And..KABOOM! A light bulb flashed on in my head!!Water fight!!
What a perfect time for a mommy sanctioned water fight!! So.. I grabbed three water guns, loaded them with water, and handed each to my whiny kids...
My!!Was it magic or what? The tears disappeared, huge grins split their faces...and the fight started!!



What fun we had that day..soaked to the skin...the kids trudged in laughing happily after an hour of intensive water fights...their anger forgotten, their tears forgotten....only the extreme joy of that hour remained.

After a bath, we all sat down and had a lovely teatime snack..Vegetable cutlets.
These are an integral part of mallu snacks..cutlets, whether they are veg or non veg, they are loved for their crispiness, and spiciness.
I make veg cutlets because they are a totally sneaky way of putting veggies on my kids' plates.Like children all over the world, they HATE veggies!!But cutlets, with a dash of ketchup will make them drool.
Check it out!!

VEGETABLE CUTLETS

Ingredients:

Potato -1 no
Carrot -1 no
Green peas -¼ cup

Onion (finely chopped) -1 no
Garlic (minced) -2 clove
Ginger (minced) -½ inch
Green chilli (finely chopped) -1 no
Red chilli powder -¼ tsp
Garam masala powder -¼ tsp
Turmeric powder -2 pinch
Coriander leaves (finely chopped) -3 stks
Salt (or to taste) -¼ tsp
Oil (for deep frying) -3 cup
Egg -1 beaten
Bread crumbs (for coating) -1 cup


Method:

1. Wash the veggies, cube the potatoes and carrots.

2. Boil cubed potatoes, carrots and green peas until thoroughly cooked. Drain water from the steamed vegetables and keep aside.

3. Heat a tsp of oil in a small saute pan and fry the minced onions, green chilli, ginger and garlic until slightly browned. Switch off and add this to the steamed veggies along with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala and salt. Let this cool completely .

4. Then mix (mash gently) to make a thick mixture. Take a small portion and roll them between your palms to make a ball, then press to flatten or shape the cutlet according to your wish.

5. Take each pattie, first dip it in the beaten egg and then place it on the bread crumbs to coat all sides.

6. Drop that in the oil and fry until its golden on all sides.

7. Serve piping hot with ketchup or sauce of your choice.